Ukiyo-e: Pictures of the Floating World
by Metsuki
Summary: One year after Endless Waltz, things have settled down... when something starts happening on an abandoned colony. And our boys haven't got Gundams. Crap. Now what do we do? HeeroxRelena, DuoxHilde, possibly others later, but non-yaoi, buddy^^
1. Ukiyoe, Prologue

[This would needs be take place after Endless Waltz, and so it does, and as I haven't seen the manga that actually comes after it, it's not involved. This fic, reflecting my own opinions, is **_NON-YAOI_**, so if you want to flame me, go ahead, but if it involves your hatred of non-yaoi pairings, any of the female cast members, or who is paired with whom, I will read it, point and laugh at you, and forward it to my friends so that they can point and laugh at you, too. Okay? Okay.

Non-flame-y emails and reviews and suchlike are welcomed and muchly lurved by Metsuki, though, yes they are.]

{DISCLAIMER: Much to my chagrin (and the relief of fans everywhere), I do not own GundamWing or any of the characters therein, all of which is compyrighted to a company that I can't remember but don't care about anyway. I own neither Heero's phrase "Ryoukai," nor Duo's braid, or Hilde's beret, or Wufei's poor pathetic chauvinism, or Trowa's Magical Anime See-through Hair™, or Quatre's pink shirt, or Relena's butler Pagan, or Pagan's tuxedo thing he's always wearing. I own nothing related to Gundam Wing except for this fic (but honestly, how original is it really?), the glass that falls off the table in the first chapter (this is the prologue, genius), and a share in the daisy. If you sue me, I will laugh at you, because I'm dead broke. Okay? Okay.}

- .  -  .  -  .  -  . -

**"Ukiyo-e"**

**p r o l o g u e**

The year is After-Colony 198. Again there is peace, a year since the final battle. The Preventers have finally registered activity on a small abandoned technological colony. Plans for investigation and action are being made, but despite a lack of actual threats, there are those who fear it cannot be stopped without another war.

They always forget about the minions.

No matter what war, no matter the cost in human life, when the puppet masters are defeated, everyone assumes that the common soldiers who did the real fighting were only that—puppets—and will no longer make trouble. They always think that the soldiers don't really care, won't further the cause. They think they disappear.

They disappear—but only to hide and grow stronger. Roaches were here before anything else and will be here long after all else is gone.

We are roaches.

These were the thoughts of the uniformed young man as he strode confidently down the corridor of Colony Base. It had once had a registered number for identification, but that had been forgotten when it was abandoned—and now it was the Base. He stopped at a door identical to so many others in the hallway, smartly punching several buttons on the keypad. As it slid open and disappeared into the wall, he took three steps into the room and stopped without a glance at three pale-gray-coated technicians seated at computer consoles.

"Crinian reporting," he rapped out, without any form of salute whatsoever.

The three technicians continued typing away dutifully, and a hollow, metallic voice spoke from nowhere and everywhere at once. "ARE WE ON SCHEDULE?"

Crinian nodded smartly. "Commencation in one week."

"DISMISSED."

He turned on his heel and strode from the room. The door slid shut behind him.

.  .  .

Worried blue eyes stared out a large window, belying the determined set of the young girl's face that housed them. "You're sure nothing has been confirmed?"

"We have found nothing to indicate hostile intent, save the refusal to communicate. The colony is either too far off, too outdated, or too well-shielded—or a combination—for any satellite scans to register anything significant." The older woman shifted slightly in her chair. "It's not healthy for you to worry yourself so, Ms. Relena," she said, sounding far more worried about the girl's health than worldwide security.

"I know, Noin," Relena said, turning from the window with a small sigh, leaving one hand pressed against the glass. "I just can't see how this could turn into anything good."

-

"So lemme get this straight," the boy said, crunching into an apple rather loudly and swinging his long legs back and forth. "You're getting this information—"

"Directly from the scanning satellites," answered the second boy flatly, his eyes on the glowing screen before him.

"You sure that's safe? Shouldn't the Preventers know?"

"No."

"And you're not gonna elaborate, are ya?"

Silence, save the tapping on the keyboard.

"You'd think," the tall boy muttered to himself as he tossed his apple core and missed the trashcan, "that after all this time he'd open up a little. You do know," he added, raising his voice slightly, "that we haven't got Gundams anymore?"

The typing stopped for a moment, and then resumed. "No consequence."

"Sure. Whatever you say, buddy."

-

"Master Quatre," the tall, burly man said, "please, I must ask you not to worry so much. You no longer have your Gundam and nothing has been registered to cause anxiety."

The small blonde boy lifted his cup to his mouth, sipping the steaming liquid as an excuse not to answer right away. Setting it down with a faint 'clink', he sighed. "I can't help it. I know there's something I should be doing. But please don't worry about me so much, alright?"

Rashid didn't answer, but the look on his face suggested that he had denied that request several times before. He considered himself lucky that his young master didn't go off looking for trouble specifically to give him a heart attack.

-

The knife flew and bit deep into the wood.

"It's not as easy to practice without you there," said a young woman, pushing a brown curl out of her face and looking at the boy sitting behind her. He didn't answer, and she continued. "What's been with you lately? All you seem to do is sit. And stare. And listen to the news. Are you sick?"

"I'm fine," he answered quietly, green eyes watching the horizon pensively. _I'm just waiting for communication,_ he added to himself.

-

The blonde woman sighed rather exasperatedly, flicking one twist over her shoulder. "What exactly do you plan to do about it, then?"

The boy behind her didn't reply as he stared intensely—almost angrily—out over the scenery.

"You're not doing any good," she told him. "The least you could to is to initiate contact. You ought to know there most of them are."

"What would you know about it?" he asked, the condescension in his voice sounding rather limp.

"More than you," she retorted calmly. "Beautiful as it is, that mountain's not going to give you answers. You've got to do something yourself."

"I don't need you preaching," he told her, black eyes darting to her and back again.

"Then stop acting like it." She walked into the small cabin. _Honestly, am I his mother? _She poured herself a cup of coffee, looking slightly satisfied. _No, I guess not. He listens to me too much._

_-_

The man was technically the president and it was technically his job to lead the country, but at present he was in a spa and Lady Une could not reach him. She returned to her office angrily, opening up the transcripts of the failed communications attempts and looking through them again, for what seemed like the hundredth time.

"There's just no reason for this to happen!" she said out loud. "I don't want to worry anyone… but why would they refuse communication? And why can't we pick up anything via satellite scan?"

"The only explanation I can see is outside interference," interjected a smooth voice.

"But that's impractical," Une told him, her forehead creasing. "Why would someone do that? And who could?"

"My suspicions aren't for anyone else at this time," said the man, making no effort to remove platinum bangs from his eyes. "It's unlikely at best, anyway."

"Your suspicions may be all we have." She turned her chair to look out the window. "Something's going to happen… soon."


	2. Ukiyoe, Chapter One: Condensing

[Notes: I'm sure you read the notes before the Prologue, so I won't repeat those… mainly, the glass falls this chapter, but you'll have to wait on the daisy… Ahem. Yeah. I just got back from North Carolina, that's why this chapter wasn't written and loaded. Thanks to all you supershiney people who REVIEWED ME!! Last thing I expected was reviews so quickly^^ I'm sorry this chapter's not too long—ones that follow won't be this short, I promise, especially once we have a plot… And eventually we'll have a plot. Alrighty.]

{DISCLAIMER: Dude. I own nothing here but this fic, and the baddies. The baddies are mine. All the good people are property of the several companies and people that own GundamWing, which aren't me. Sue me and I laugh because you will be paid in dirty socks. I have no money. No. Literally.}

"Ukiyo-e" 

****

**c h a p t e r 1**

****

****

          The technician peered nervously out the window of his quarters. He had secretly pulled strings to get an outside room with a view of earth, distant though it was. Fortunately, it was thought that he wanted to see it in order to better comprehend how to conquer it.

          A thin, nervous young man with large grey eyes behind big round glasses, he wasn't quite sure why he was here. He knew the official reasons—he was one of the greatest technological minds of the times, and he was part of the team that would build an empire… yeah. But he didn't know why he was there, on that colony called "Base", trying to build something that would… he wasn't quite sure. He was only building part of it—but an important part, he was certain.

          Why else would he be forbidden to discuss it with others brought for the same reasons?

          He sighed and pushed his glasses back up on his nose. Just then, a high-pitched beeping announced a page. Without waiting for a reply, the voice of Crinian crackled through the speaker. (_I really must fix that, _he thought absently.)

          "Requested time of solitude expired. Further requests denied for four weeks…"

          _Not that I'll need them. We commence in a week. What are we doing, anyway?_

"…Required in Common Hall immediately." Footsteps lead away from the door and disappeared.

          "Common Hall?" the young technician said with mild surprise as he slid his door open and began walking. "I thought I was denied access to that…"

-

          "Howard," said the girl as she climbed nimbly down a ladder, "what do you think's going on, anyway? I mean, I haven't heard from Duo—or anyone else—for a while. Last time Relena contacted me, she sounded worried, though."

          "That girl's always worried," the balding man answered, taking a swig of the drink in his hand and knocking himself in the nose with the tiny orange umbrella. "But I don't see what the worry is. Besides, none of those guys have Gundams anyway and it shouldn't matter. It's not like I can build one from scratch, either. I'm a repairman."

          "That's true," the girl answered, lifting up her beret with a finger as she scratched her head. "But it still kind of bothers me."

          "Well you can always see who you can pick up on that old radio," Howard said, waving a hand rather dismissively. The girl lifted an eyebrow at him, but followed the hand anyway and entered a dusty old room to find an equally dusty radio setup on a table.

          She paused, shrugged, and lifted the headset onto her head, fiddling with the dial.

          "I wonder," she murmured to herself. "Hey, this one looks interesting," she said suddenly. The number sequence on that setting was faintly familiar. "Hello?" she said, switching on the headset. "Hello? Is anyone there?"

The boy was, to say the least, mildly surprised to hear a voice come out of his laptop computer. However, he was not at all given to strong emotion, and he answered quite tonelessly.

          "Who are you and how do you know this frequency?"

          "It was on the radio… wait… Heero?"

          He didn't reply.

          "Heero! It's Hilde. Do you remember me?"

          "You shouldn't be able to use this frequency." _Because, _he thought to himself, _I'm getting my information on it._

"It was on Howard's radio. I guess he put it there. Heero," she said abruptly, "what's going on?"

          "…What do you mean?" He had absolutely no intention of telling her what exactly was going on, but as she had proved other than incompetent as far as he knew, he felt that an answer wouldn't be wasted.

          "Oh, come on. Look, I figure you, of all people, should know why Relena's so worried. She's not telling the general public anything."

          _Because she doesn't know anything. _Not that that bothered him. Worry wouldn't kill her. "I can't give you any more information than that. Don't use this frequency again."

          "Why? What are you using it for?"

          ". . . ."

          "Hey, you there? …Crap." She set the radio down in irritation, rolling her eyes. "No help. I wish I knew where Duo was. Or anyone. Maybe I'd get an answer then."

-

He-was-going-to-snap. She didn't know what she was talking about. Her advice wasn't something he needed. Or wanted. Or would take. Or react to. But it wasn't her advice. He thought of it himself. Besides, they couldn't do anything alone.

     Watching him from inside and sipping coffee, the woman couldn't keep a small, satisfied smile off her face as she watched the Chinese boy pace outside, clearly upset. "I wonder why he bothers to fight anymore," she told the air conversationally. "He knows I'm right." She shrugged and swallowed some coffee nonchalantly as he finally stormed in.

     "I suppose I have to say something. Those other fools can't do anything by themselves."

     "You know, Wufei, if you'd give it some thought, you might find that they aren't quite as useless as you think."

     He didn't deign to reply as he strode down the hall and slammed a door behind him.

     She chuckled and sipped her coffee.

-

The radio crackled to life. "BARTON! Barton, pick up!"

     The young woman jumped and whiled, knocking a glass of water off the table. She ignored the shatter, reaching for the microphone.

"No, Cathy," said the young man as he stood, taking the mic gently from her. "It's mine. Yes?" He said into it. "Who's there?"

"Chang Wufei. I suppose you weren't planning on doing anything at all?"

"Waiting on you guys. Besides, what do we know?"

"Nothing. But Yuy does. He always does."

"And where is he?"

"…Don't you know?" Wufei sounded affronted.

"No. Do you?"

"No. Winner might. Maxwell's almost sure to."

"Well, we don't know where Duo is either. Quatre then?"

"Fine."

Trowa put down the microphone.

"Trowa, you're not going again?"

"I have to. It'll be fine, Cathy. We don't even know if anything's really wrong."

"Don't you dare die. Or stay away too long. You better come back, Trowa."

He nodded and left the room. A minute later, the sound of a vehicle starting up was heard. "I don't know why I let him go," Catherine muttered to herself, turning back around and stirring the pot on the stove.

-

The next day, Quatre Raberba Winner was startled by the doorbell and a page over his presumed-dead radio simultaneously. "Would you mind getting the door, please?" Quatre asked the group of various people around him apologetically as he went for the radio. There were several "certainly!"s and footsteps as he picked up the microphone with some hesitation.

"Hello?"

"Quatre?" asked a female voice.

"Yes, may I ask with whom I am speaking?"

"I got the right frequency!" the voice said with evident relief. "It's Hilde Schbeiker, do you remember me?"

"Of course! It's good to hear from you."

"Thanks, I'm glad someone has manners… I'm sorry to bother you, but I need to know if you have any idea what's—"

"WINNER!" another voice bellowed. Quatre whirled to see Wufei and Trowa enter, the latter calm as always, the former looking for some reason put out.

"Please, I'm trying to communicate! I'm sorry, Hilde, could you repeat that?"

"Have you got any idea what's going on? I mean besides what the news is telling us?"

"Exactly!" Wufei said. "And where's Maxwell and Yuy?"

"I don't know," Quatre said into the mic, looking at the two. "But I may be able to find out. Hilde, I'll get back to you, alright?"

"Sure, thanks. Out."

"So you can find out where Heero and Duo are?" Trowa asked.

"I should hope so," Quatre replied, setting the microphone down. "I've communicated with Heero a short while ago, and I ought to be able to trace him."

"Yo!" Said the radio. "Who's there?"

Wufei darted forward. "MAXWELL!"

"Well. Wufei is. Whatcha doin' at Quatre's house?"

"Looking for you! Where on earth are you and Yuy?!"

"Well geez, I tried to get you earlier… I'm with Catherine, Trowa, since I'd thought you'd be here…"

"Where ARE YOU?!"

"I tolja I'm with Catherine on the colony!"

"Where's Yuy?"

"I left him yesterday, he could be gone by now."

Trowa removed the microphone before Wufei snapped it in half. "Duo, where was he when you left him?"

"He was holed up in a hotel near the capital. Wouldn't tell me why he was there in particular, though, I guess it was because the signals were strongest there."

"Signals?"

"Yeah, he's getting data from the satellites that are scanning that colony everyone's freaking out about. That's why the Preventers can't get any information."

Quatre took the microphone with a polite look and ignored Wufei's expression of fury. "What has he found?"

"So Quatre's there after all! He wouldn't say. He mentioned that it didn't matter that we didn't have Gundams, though. Although he could have been lying."

"Thank you, Duo. I think we're going to find him."

-

Heero was not happy. Not that he usually was… that is, he was even less happy than normal. He had never considered that Relena would worry about the Preventers' lack of information, and now that that dratted Duo had mentioned it, he couldn't get the notion out of his head.

Which shouldn't have bothered him. Her worries were not his problem. But lately, he had been finding it harder not to find her, make sure she was okay. He was distracted, and distractions were not what he needed. She was a distraction. Again. And he still didn't know why. That he did know why, and wouldn't admit it to himself, was not an option.

He slammed his computer shut in a rare display of temper and put his head in his hands. This had to end. There was nothing that tied him to her. There was no war anymore, shred what he was finding. She didn't need protection—she never really had. He was sick of the gutwrenching feelings that caught him when he least needed them. He was sick of the mad urge to follow her again. He was sick of the blue eyes that looked at him out of the darkness of nights spent sleepless.

He was sick of the dim half-memory of being held and wanting nothing more than to stay like that.

Why? Why was it? He didn't want that. She had never represented anything more to him than an annoyance, or a cause. Both even.

Once more. Once more he'd see that she was fine. Then never again. He didn't want to keep doing this. He wouldn't.

As he stood and left, he didn't consider that maybe he just didn't want to see her worried.


	3. Ukiyoe, Chapter Two: Gathering

[Notes: **eyes go all huge and SD-starry** I have had _reviewerz_. They're my new bestest friendz^^ Besides that….Mmmmm. Bleh. I want to hit FIFTEEN reviews before I churn out Chapter 4. Cause I do. Fwee. You laky, you pluggy, ne? +0.^+]

{DISCLAIMER: ShinkidouSenkiGundamWing (say that five times fast) is the sole property of a bunch of guys who work in a company and the Japanese dude they bought it from. I do not own GundamWing anymore than the next semi-rabid fangirl out there—or at least, the ones who don't think they own it…. Yeah. So. Like, the bad guys are mine, and the plot is mine; any resemblance to actual fics, people, or other stuff that this shouldn't resemble, living or dead, is purely coincidental ^^}

"Ukiyo-e" 

****

**c h a p t e r 2**

Relena watched the screen before her tensely, gray-blue light from the screen casting a flickering glow over her features. A newswoman was reporting on the situation, and Relena was distinctly unhappy with the message she was sending.

"The developments of the unknown colony's activities are being carefully monitored and there is no cause for alarm. Any untoward developments will be immediately reported. —Aya Maerio, outside the capital."

The girl's fist clenched, grasping the arm of her chair until her knuckles whitened, but her face did not betray her intense worry and indignation. She stood quickly and turned from the screen, lifting a hand as though to cover her face, but retiring it to fist over her heart.

As she stared at the floor through eyes slowly misting over, thoughts came unbidden to her mind—what if Une was keeping something from her, despite her assurances that she wasn't? What if that colony was planning violence, the unspoken worry of the entire nation? What if there was nothing she could do to save what she still thought of, despite her lack of political office, as her country? She felt so phony, here awaiting her little speech at the dedication of the newest colony to be built—the first since the end of all wars, after Mariemaia.

And in the very back of her mind, surrounded by clamoring political puzzles, demure but clear-voiced for all of that, was one last question. _Heero… where are you now—when I need you?_

She silenced it—or tried—with a remorseful shake of her head. She didn't need him now; after all, he had no Gundam and she had no right to ask of him something that she didn't even think was possible. Who was she fooling? –she didn't even know what was going on. If he were to appear, she wouldn't have anything to ask of him, anyway. She was just… powerless. Hopeless. A lost girl alone in her impotency. Really, said a thought unbidden, she missed the sense of security she had when she knew he was watching—he never knew she knew. But she did. But then, self-pity wasn't going to get her anywhere.

She walked to the window, turning her back on her sumptuous lodgings and looking up at the moon for answers.

---

Heero looked down from the night sky and at his hands lying limp in his lap. Sitting in the back of a passenger transport heading to the newest colony, the only to be built by the Earthsphere Unified Nation, he was slightly off balance in the seats and not in the cockpit. He never questioned his decision to head there. After all, it was possible he'd hear something from a visiting dignitary.

It was madness to question yourself. Debating a decision in battle got you killed nine times out of ten. Which is why he did not consider the fact that the dignitaries would know nothing he did not. That he, in all probability, knew more than the dignitaries. And why he did not wonder if it would be a mistake to be where Relena was. The ceremony hall would only be so big.

It was not, of course, public knowledge that Relena Peacecraft was going to be there; officially, it was confidential information, a sure sign that the vast majority of the population knew. All Heero had to do was place himself inconspicuously in a crowded location, and the information was supplied happily to his ears.

"We're very sorry," said a voice over the loudspeaker in at least four languages, "but we have been notified of a temporary delay." The voice hesitated, then resumed, crisp, professional, and unperturbed. "We will be landing on a nearby moon base until the all-clear. There is no cause for alarm; again, this is simply temporary."

Five minutes later the shuttle docked, dislodging its passengers into a small, somewhat ill-maintained terminal. As the other people milled about, the young man strode purposefully toward a deserted corner, removed his laptop from a satchel over his shoulder, and quickly hacked into official communications. He typed in a command and the sound shut off, words appearing transcripted on the screen.

HQ 3198463 – ATTENTION ALL CIVILIAN SHUTTLES, YOU ARE TO LAND AT THE NEAREST AVAILABLE SITE AT ONCE. REPEAT, LAND IMMEDIATELY. THIS IS NOT A DRILL. YOU WILL BE NITIFIED OF ANY CHANGES.

CVAR 473892 – WHAT IS THIS? HOW CAN WE LAND WITHOUT KNOWING WHAT'S GOING ON?!

HQ 3198463 – THERE HAS BEEN A MESSAGE FROM THE CAPITAL. WE ARE TO LAND AT ONCE. NO FURTHER INFORMATION IS AVAILABLE AT THIS TIME. REPEAT, ALL CIVILIAN TRANSPORTS LAND IMMEDIATELY.

He closed the computer. Enough. There was something wrong, and he was going to find out what. He shoved the device back into the bag and walked innocently toward the exit of the terminal. He glanced around from the corners of his eyes, hidden by thick brown bangs: one pilot. Two pilots. Three pilots. Fools, to leave their craft unattended. He strode though the door, down the attached arm, into the craft, into the cockpit, and was taking off before anyone noticed he was gone.

The pilots rushed to the windows, shaking their uniformed fists in futile rage. "What does he think he's doing?!" one cried. "There's a situation out there! Can he even fly?!"

That question was answered as the trail of light flashed further and further away.

The same pilot lifted his hand to scratch his head. "I wonder where he's going, anyway."

---

Duo stared uncomfortably at the tea in front of him. Hot tea. Hot. Tea. He looked out the window disconsolately at the heat waves rising from the sand and concluded that millionaire or not, Quatre was absolutely insane.

The current subject of Duo's less-than-complimentary thoughts was hunched over a computer that was plugged into the radio, typing away with a random Maguanac leaning over his shoulder apparently giving him instructions.

"I sure hope he finds something," he told Trowa, glancing at Wufei, who was meditating.

Trowa, who also recognized the signs of a Wufei near to snapping, nodded in agreement. "It does seem odd that Heero would purposely close us out of what be knows. I mean, he's never been too vocal, but still…"

"If you ask me," the braided young man said, leaning forward conspiratorially, "it's because Relena's involved somehow. That guy," he continued, raising his eyebrows with a look of condescension, "has no idea how to operate around women."

"And you do?" A female voice broke in. Duo whirled, turning tomato-red as Hilde strode through the door, characteristic beret as in place as ever. "I regret that I was unable to find Heero," Quatre said without a trace of humor, despite the rather impish expression in his blue eyes, "but Miss Schbeiker was also on the waves, and I asked her some time ago to join us. She may be of some help."

Duo nodded wisely, his bangs accidentally obscuring his face as he waited for the burning to leave his cheeks. When he was sufficiently sure that he was back to normal, he tossed his head back, winking at Hilde. "Long time no see, Hilde, how's it been?"

"Fine," she answered, grinning at him in greeting. "Howard seems to love the yard more than you do. He's considering building something just to prove he still can. Have you guys found anything?"

"Not really. Heero's off somewhere again. I think he's gone off to find Relena again…" Duo ignored the soft snickers from the area of Trowa and Quatre. Wufei opened one eye.

Hilde looked concerned. "Does he know where she is? It's all over that she's on that new colony—"

"What new colony is that?" Rashid asked, coming into the room with more tea on a silver platter.

"It's the first built by the Earthsphere Unified Nations," she told him, setting her beret on the table and flicking her bangs further from her eyes. "She's making a speech. Technically no one's supposed to know, but everyone does."

The radio made a soft hissing sound. "Are you ready?"

Wufei jerked like a live wire, grabbing the microphone before anyone else made a move. "YUY! WHERE THE [explitive deleted] HAVE YOU BEEN, [explitive deleted]?!"

The cool voice undercut Wufei's tirade. "Someone take the receiver away from Chang. He's going to damage my speakers."

Hilde snatched it from the Chinese boy as he stared in mute fury at the mic, turning her back before she could see the look of spite he flashed her. "Shoot."

There was a pause, then, "Ryoukai. Relena's on the new colony—"

"Tolja," Duo muttered out of the side of him mouth. Hilde kicked him.

"And I'm sure that's where they're going to try something."

"Is she going to be taken hostage again?" Quatre asked in alarm, and Hilde relayed the message.

"I doubt it, that would be strategically unwise. I think they're going to make a statement—but abducting Relena isn't part of that statement."

"So what are they going to do?" several voices asked simultaneously, although Hilde's was the only one heard with any clarity.

"I don't know. Are you guys ready?"

Duo motioned for the mic, which Hilde handed over. "What're you planning, buddy? Let us in on it, whyontcha."

"I need you all to be ready at the nearest shuttle launchpad at twenty-one-hundred hours."

Hilde glanced at the clock. "But that's in three hours! What's he thinking of? The official opening of the colony isn't for five days!"

"Whoa, buddy, how 'bout clueing the rest of us in, here?"

"I'm assuming Hilde's coming as well."

"Well, yeah, but…"

"Fine. Don't tell anyone."

"What are you talking about? It's just—"

"Do as I say, it's for everyone's safety. Be ready."

"Fine, buddy," Duo said, setting the mic on the table with a resigned expression. Wufei snatched it up immediately. "YUY! Don't you dare to—Yuy? YUY!"

He was met with dead silence.

"Well," Quatre said gently, albeit with a sardonic look, "where's the nearest launchpad?"


	4. Ukiyoe, Chapter Three: Darkening

[Notes: Fancy. I'm actually writing cause I wanna! Um… Me techyboy gets a name this chapter, aren't you proud? And for those of you despairing of Duo-Hilde fluff, it's coming. Slowly. I mean, after all, there's not nearly so much angst in that relationship.]

{DISCLAIMER: Are you people _still_ after me? Lord above. I do not own GundamWing. If I did, it would be a great deal fluffier, and the overall quality of everything would go down. I own Shinichi, though. He's mah babee. Too bad for you. You kent havim. Um. Other than that… you can sue me if you like really want, because I found a fifty-dollar bill that I apparently made babysitting and had lost. You'll lose though ^^}

"Ukiyo-e" 

****

**c h a p t e r 3**

          The Common Hall, thought the slender, gray-eyed technician as he strode down the hallway, his every movement exuding a confidence he in no way felt. He had carefully assembled his authority-figure demeanor before leaving his quarters, hiding his mouse-like timidity and tendencies to speak with a stammer. They wanted him in the common hall.

          He stuck his head in the door with a great show of polite interest coupled with reluctance to disturb anything that may be going on. Ah his eyes fell upon the room, he quickly tilted his head downward very slightly so that sandy bangs and a gleam on his large round glasses obscured his eyes, and therefore, the disappointed expression within them, keeping down the wave of anxiety that threatened to well up. After a few deep, silent breaths, he looked up with a chipper gleam in his eyes and a small, eager smile on his face, and entered the nearly-empty room.

          He walked smoothly down the long aisle between the rows of seats that curved away seemingly endlessly. The eyes of the officers at the other side of the cavernous room bored into the young man's skull, daring him to drop his amiability—for it to falter for a second. They seemed to become farther and farther away as he moved towards them, but suddenly, he was there, sweeping a respectful bow.

          "Technical advisory unit 39771, Nakagawa Shinichi, reporting."

          There was a low laugh that seemed to come from all five of the uniformed men, although their expressions of bland humor mixed with severe vigilance mixed with shrewd cunning did not falter.

          _Drat them, _the young man thought. _Automatonous—and copies of one another—and extensions of the government. They are nothing alone._

"As you know," said one officer smoothly, interrupting his less-than-complimentary thoughts, "we have less than five days in which to complete all preparations. At that time the dedication of the colony built by the Earthsphere Unified Nation—" there was venom in the older man's voice as he spoke the name— "will commence. Her Excellency Vice Foreign Minister Queen Relena Derlian-Peacecraft will make a speech at that time. We must be in action before then." The stringing together of all Relena's titles, past and present, seemed to be some sort of joke, although nobody there laughed.

          "Surely you don't mean, sir," Shinichi responded, his voice carefully neutral, able to be taken as humor, seriousness, eagerness, revulsion, whatever he'd need, "that we'll be abducting Ms. Peacecraft?"

          "Of course not," another voice interjected, stepping toward the lab-coated man, slicking one small strand back into his elegantly smooth hair and twisting his thin moustache, "that would be tacky and unwise—and you should know, Nakagawa-kun, that we are neither tacky nor unwise."

          "Undoubtedly," he responded, suppressing a shudder at the '-kun'. Herden was a strange fellow. "What, then, sirs, is her significance?"

          "Not her," rejoined the first officer, looking very slightly put out at his comrade's interruption. "But surely you have heard stories of the pilot that never fails to protect her?"

          "Ye—"

          He continued without pause. "Who guards her whether she knows it or not? Who escapes the notice of the general public? Who was found by our intelligence alone? Who happens to be none other than the Perfect Soldier?"

          Shinichi nodded. "Yes, of course, sir."

          "_He_ is our target."

          "He—"

          A third officer shouldered his way to the front. Crinian.

          "Surely you've wondered why you're building what you're building? Surely you've wondered why you have not been trained for war?"

          "I supposed that certainly the other recruits—"

          "Other recruits!" Crinian barked, laughing without humor. "There are no soldiers aboard this colony."

          "Then what…"

          "Don't ask questions!" bit off the fourth officer without moving from his postion in the back.

          "I beg your pardons," answered Shinichi uneasily, falling silent.

          "We have outgrown that crude sort of war," Crinian said with a certain deal of satisfaction. "Mobile suits—mobile dolls—larger and larger weapons—children's toys. Tools of a primitive age." His cheshire-cat smile grew wider as he paused, Herden taking over.

          "We have found another way—one much more elegant, more refined…. One for which we need the voluntary support of dear Relena."

          Shinichi nodded. "And why have I been honored with this information?"

          "Simple," said the fourth officer with a smile, holding out his hand and inspecting his fingers, shadows from his thick, dark green bangs hiding his eyes. "You now know far too much for any civilian—and if you leave now, we'll have to kill you."

---

There was silence in the small bus—mainly because Duo was apparently asleep. A nondescript Maguanac was driving, a safety measure Rashid had insisted upon before letting his young charge leave, and he has also stood firm on the point of transportation: namely, a smallish, old, plain twelve-passenger bus that wouldn't draw attention. The six passengers were spread out along it, lost in their own thoughts. Quatre was in the passenger seat, feeling guilty that he had agreed to let the man next to him come—what if it were dangerous?—and wishing he could find a way to send him home. Trowa was in the very back, a bench-seat, trying to diffuse a darkly furious Wufei merely by sitting near him, which Wufei was having none of other than his resentful agreement to hold silent. Hilde herself was asleep, guessing that she'd need to be completely alert for whatever Heero wanted, especially since he had seemed rather reluctant for her to come along.

The nearest launchpad, Trowa had found, was over two and a half hours away, which would put them where Heero wanted them five minutes before hand, which the green-eyed boy worried was not enough. Now, an hour into the drive, he wasn't sure what was going to happen if they weren't there when Heero said to be, and he hoped he was the only one who was entertaining these distressing thoughts.

          Duo, despite pretenses, was not at all asleep. He has settled himself down to pretend to be that way facing away from the window, and therefore, toward Hilde across the aisle, who had been sitting with her back to him. But now, she had turned over in her sleep, and her serene face was at eye-level with Duo's, if several feet away.

          Hilde, he knew from experience, was a light sleeper, and if he moved now, he'd wake her. So he lay staring at her in the falling darkness, thinking.

          _She looks so peaceful asleep like that. She's even smiling a little, I wonder if she's dreaming? Her beret's going to fall off of her head, it's so far back. Makes you notice her hair, though. Kinda like the sky at night, sorta purply-black, and I bet it's soft, too. _A notion occurred to him, his violet eyes widening. _She's—really pretty. I just… didn't really notice… or didn't consider it… she's just been Hilde. So little, I could pick her up and toss her in the air—heaven knows I've done it before—but strong underneath. She's an incredible help at the yard, she can practically lift twice her weight. There's muscle in those little arms! _He winced, remembering the smart when she had hit his shoulder, once, for some stupid comment or other. _No wonder she joined OZ, the right thing's so important to her… _His wince turned to a grin. _And I'll say it again—she **did **look good in that OZ suit…_

"Duo?" Murmured a soft voice. He blinked to find he was staring into one dark blue eye, Hilde having left the other one closed. 

          "Sorry, babe, did I wake you?" he replied in a like tone.

          "You were thinking too loudly," she said with quiet humor. "What about? Penny for your throughts."

          "Times've changed, it'll take more that that! –Nothing vital to Earth's survival, don't worry," he answered, grin widening. "Go back to sleep, Hilde."

          She smiled at him, sighing to herself and closing her eye, pillowing her head on her hands and slipping back into dreamland.

          He watched her for a moment longer, before closing his eyes and easing himself over to face out the window. Hilde opened an eye sleepily as he did so, a corner of her mouth lifting as she looked at his back, before drifting off again.

--- 

          Heero stared out the window before him dispassionately, arms crossed as the shuttle sped through space, the earth looming huge and blue-white-green, obscuring his view of the cold dark airlessness that was his universe. If he looked behind him, or even sideways, he saw the gyroscope-like colonies, light reflected off the planet gleaming from the spinning sides of the newest one. As his eyes fell on this one, they stayed there, despite his every intent to focus on nothing but landing and picking up the others.

          His gaze didn't leave the colony, but his face didn't change, and his eyes never flickered. Not really. It must have been a reflection from the colony hitting them. Even when a voice spoke suddenly over the communications system, his face could have been made from marble, but at the words, reflection or flicker died in his eyes.

          "All civilian shuttles were told to land," said the voice calmly, reasonably, and completely confidently. "How is it that this one remains in flight?"

          He didn't reply for a long moment, but a response came finally, toneless. "This is not a civilian shuttle."

          The voice chuckled softly. "Of course not, Mr. Yuy. As you are hardly a civilian. May I ask where you are going?"

          He didn't answer.

          The voice chuckled again. "I thought as much. Alas, we have no tracers upon your vessel and cannot track you; however, I strongly feel we'll be meeting soon. Pleasant journey. And Mr. Yuy—it would not be wise for you to have any potential distractions." Another light chuckle, which faded into silence.

          Heero remained motionless for a long while, before reaching a single hand out to increase speed and change trajectory more directly to his destination. He did not know what he was going to do about Hilde—not that he knew this about himself; doubt was not a part of his psyche. But some subconscious part of his mind had been reluctant to allow her to come, and was thrumming like a plucked guitar string after the parting words of the voice over comm.

          Unfortuately, while Heero was no extrovert, neither was he an introvert, and any doubt went unentertained. The firey trails grew brighter and larger as the shuttle hurtled forward.

[That was short. I know this. But _you_ people need to review me. Please? **begs** Come on. Nothing big and special, just something like "Yeah, Metsuki-no-baka, I'm reading/I've read your stupid fic, keep churning, I need something to keep me amused." That would make me happy… **waves cookies enticingly**

Another minor note: Utada Hikaru rocks. "Kyou wa oishii mono wo tabeyou yo/mirai wo zutto sakida yo/Boku ni mo wakaranai…"]


End file.
